By day, Jackie was a warehouse storeman at Elliston's Raincoat Factory. He always held his briefcase close as it contained black-market nylons and perfumes, which he sold for extra money. After losing his job at Elliston's, Jackie got drunk and fell into the canal but was rescued by Frank Barlow. Frank felt sorry for Jackie and managed to get him a job as an insurance agent but he never made any money as he drank away his earnings.

The Rigby family were all alcoholics and would be fighting in the street at 1.00am but Jackie's liquid activities were curtailed somewhat in 1948 when beer rationing was strictly adhered to by Jack Walker and limited to three pints per person. Jackie got round this by bringing his two nephews into the Rovers who had signed the pledge at the Band of Hope and drank their ration for them.

Ena Sharples took him under her wing and managed to get him off the drink but he then scarpered as he thought Ena wanted him to marry her. Jackie and Alf did a moonlight flit in May 1950, owing three weeks' rent.